


Smoke on the Water

by AwatereJones



Category: Torchwood
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/M, Fantasy, Gen, M/M, Mara - Freeform, Supernatural - Freeform, ancient, djiin
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-19
Updated: 2020-11-09
Packaged: 2021-03-07 16:08:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 18
Words: 19,174
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26550406
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AwatereJones/pseuds/AwatereJones
Summary: So Borderlinecrazy asked me for this one, gave me a detailed prompt and I was more than happy to start this one for her. Let's see where this goes, how deep the Underworld can be. Someone is using a portal similar to the Rift to move around, it is causing a stirring in the ethos of the ancient powers of this world. Ianto is not pleased. At all! A Djinn stirs.
Relationships: Gwen Cooper/Owen Harper, Gwen Cooper/Rhys Williams, Jack Harkness/Ianto Jones, Owen Harper/Toshiko Sato
Comments: 64
Kudos: 54





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [rambleinblue](https://archiveofourown.org/users/rambleinblue/gifts), [borderlinecrazy](https://archiveofourown.org/users/borderlinecrazy/gifts).



_I am an ancient. Idealized and fantasized into genies and sprites or something. No. I am none of these things… I am an enigma. As all of us are that hold this mantle, no two are the same. These humans need to explain what they cannot into something that their primitive brains can understand. I am not a genie. Not a ghost or a sprite or a demon. No._

_I am something even the Mara bow to as an elder._

_A Djinn._

_I watch them. These… mortals. These humans. I feel a sense of attachment to them, to this place. My dirt they live on. The ancient catacombs go deep beneath their tunnels for the transportation of shit and metal beasts. I have been here longer than them. Longer than mankind itself and I shall be here long after they destroy one another._

_Their hatred, despair and chaos feeds me like honey to the bee. Their blood tastes metallic, like everything they touch and I am not one who imbibes this way, not like some of my cousins. No … I feed off emotion. Their pleasure and pain. My only fear is one day they will succeed in destroying themselves and I will be forced to return to the earth._

_But for now… I will watch over them._

.

.

.

.

"Well I wanted that one!" Owen said with a childish pout as Ianto sighed and tried to find another sandwich with the same filling. Gwen was already chewing on the one she had snatched and was openly showing Owen how nice it was too. Ianto was mildly pissed now… that had been Owen's sandwich in the order in the first place.

"Here… take this one. It's the same grilled chicken but without olives. It has red onion rings instead" Ianto finally said as he found the spare one in case Jack was still hungry, pulling it out "you like onion."

"Yeah!" Owen lit up as he snatched it and opened it with glee "She can shove those olives right up her great big ar…"

"Kids!" Jack bounced into the room and headed for the chair that was waiting for him. The sandwiches already unwrapped and the lovely large slice of banana cake each was nice to see as well. (Chocolate for Toshiko)

Owen and Gwen were still complaining about each other to anyone who would listen and Jack slammed his hand on the table "Cut that out. It's not my fault you two got rostered together tonight. I have a personal matter, Ianto has the school recital and Toshiko has some science talk thingy to go to!"

"Why!" Gwen whined "Ianto doesn't even have any kids!"

"Gwen!" Jack barked with annoyance "He has family. Like all the rest of you!"

Owen snorted as he reached for the salt shaker but Gwen saw and was quicker, seizing it and wrenching it from his hand, the top flying off and salt covering the table like dandruff. Ianto rose and stepped back with open anger as he looked at the mess, then gave Gwen the stink-eye. Up in the rafters Myfanwy gave a soft bark of anger as well, the smell of salt drifting up to her fine nostrils.

"Well … I didn't do that" Owen said as he rose as well, stepping back with alarm as Ianto made a noise of warning deep in his throat. He was pissed. A rare noise that warned him even if Gwen had never heard it before… Owen had. He instantly froze, looking to Jack for some sort of intervention.

"Gwen. You did it. You clean it up" Jack said as he pulled his food closer to him, glad he hadn't got any on his. He doesn't like salt. No need for anything to mess with these taste buds ta.

"Ianto…"

"There is a another sandwich still in the bag. Gwen's original choice of chicken and mayo if you are still hungry. My raspberry jam and cheese is mine! Gwen … I do not do salt. For that matter … you don't like it either so why do that?" Ianto said flatly "You know where the cleaning things are. I have to go finish that report on the Hoix last night in the Corner Dairy that ate the bloody entire shelf of bread, then tried to eat the cat!"

"Oh" she said in a small voice, agreeing that she would rather clean this than look at photos of that.

"Did it really try for the shop keeper's turban?" Owen asked as he slid in to walk alongside Ianto "Can I come for the follow up?"

Ianto looked at him and knew he was trying to avoid Gwen so nodded. Since they had broken up both had been insufferable to be around. Ianto even said Owen could drive to see the little beast show some excitement again.

Gwen was like a soul sucking succubus leaching all the joy from Owen. Seems the man was finally trying to fight his way back to some sunlight.

As Owen drove Ianto went over the events of the night before, the mess and the general chaos as they had entered to find the shopkeeper behind the now empty bread stack wedged in the corner, a broom handle and wild eyes as the Hoix destroyed the place with abandon. Now in the light of day the police caution tape seemed almost fake, like a movie set.

As they pulled up Ianto watched a child simply bob under it and continue in to buy the morning papers to no doubt run home to place on the breakfast table. Life goes on.

"Greetings" the shopkeeper grinned, recognizing the suited man from the night before, surprised to see the other man with him was not the one in the Great Coat like last night's partner. The shop's cat wound around the man's legs to greet them as well, none the worse for wear after last night's fun.

"This is Doctor Harper, our medic. Here to make sure you are OK, and to check the Meow" Ianto waved a hand and slid around the corner to look at the hole in the wall the Hoix had made in it's death throes. The plasterer was already filling it in as someone moved in the shadows and Ianto felt himself freeze as the man stepped out from the shelving to look at the plasterer's work.

"Almost done?" the man asked the plasterer as he straightened his red cap. UNIT. Bastards on their patch again.

"What are you doing here?" Owen roared as he walked past Ianto to glare at the cap wearing piss-ant. "We didn't call you for clean up."

"Just checking the place was cleared Doctor Harper, no need to have a dick measuring contest" the man smiled softly "My, new shoes. Do they have those built up soles to make you look taller?"

"Fuck you McGoven!" Owen spat "Fuck you and your little turdy red hat!"

"It's called a Beret" the man said with an air of importance "We at least have pride in our appearance."

"Once again with feeling … fuck you!" Owen smiled back, then swung to leave.

"What… that's it? Don't want to set fire to the place as well?" McGoven called after him stepping so close to Ianto that they almost touched.

The shop keeper stood watching as Ianto leaned in and whispered in the man's ear, the man going pale and stepping back as if seeing Ianto for the first time. He was afraid. Stepping back into the shelving with a solid thud as his eyes widened and Ianto continued to stare him down.

Then the Beret wearing douche bag exited out the front door at speed, through the tape like we was winning a race as he power walked across the road. Once safely on the other side of the street he looked around as if confused to be there.

The shop's cat continued to rub around Ianto's legs as he watched the scene with open amusement, Ianto bending down to pluck him up for a soft petting before placing him gently on the counter where he sat purring happily, looking love drunk.

"Fuck, did you comment on his tight little arse or something?" Owen asked with amusement. "Did you see him power out of here?"

"I merely pointed out that his cap can fit up his arse with the toe of my perfectly buffed shoe if he so cared to see" Ianto replied, stopping at the counter to turn to the little old man who had appeared though the bead curtain that separated the back, waiting by his son with their matching turbans a deep burgundy.

The old man placed down a tiny bowl of flour next to the cat then sat a matching lid beside it, then flourished a small jug of something, pouring it over the flour before he bowed deeply to Ianto as the soft scent of aromatic oils filled the space. Ianto dropped a lid over the bowl, and then the little old man scuttled off again with a look of glee.

Ianto hummed and picked up the little bowl, roughly the size of a mandarin and slid it into his pocket without blinking, nodding to the shopkeeper and then walking out to enjoy the morning light.

Owen had missed the entire thing, still making crotch grabbing motions at the man across the street.

"Come on Owen. Time to go back to the Hub. Getting bright out here, where is rain when you want it?" Ianto called and Owen ran for the SUV like a slobbery little dog, calling for the right to drive again.

Ianto slid into the passenger seat and let the tinted windows hum up, blocking out the morning noise, bluster… and sunlight.

He much preferred the shadows.


	2. Chapter 2

Ianto was in his lower levels, where he preferred to be. So old and derelict that even Jack didn't know his way around and he finally found Ianto one the one place he hated to go. In the den.

"Ianto?"

Ianto turned slowly to face him, the book in his hand place down with care as he walked over to meet him with an air of interest. "Sir?"

"I thought you had gone home to rest until tonight" Jack said as he looked around the room that was wall to wall, floor to ceiling books. Tomes. Scrolls… words. Cats. Cats? One wathcing him with those mesmerizing eyes seeming to glow.

She was domestic longhair, but not a Persian or anything specific like that, so it's just fluff. She's a tri-coat, so it's also a LOT of fluff. She's a black and white kitty, with pretty patterns. She's all white on her belly, and with the exception of her left front elbow, all four legs and paws are white as well. She has a band of white going over the back of her neck, and her nose is white - which makes her look like she has one of those ridiculous "Zoro" masks that cover the eyes and top of the head in black. Her back is mostly black, with random speckles of white fur like stars studding it throughout. And, finally, her tail is solid black. Her eyes are this pretty color that can't tell whether it wants to be citrine or peridot.

She really stood out amongst the other cats like they were afraid of her, or respected her or something. It seems weird but she seemed to look to Ianto as if to tell him this human was interrupting something important.

"Hush Lulu" he said softly as she bristled with the indignity of being spoken to at all, even though clearly she had asked something in some way.

"Leaving soon?" Jack asked again, used to Ianto speaking to cats. He spoke to everyone.

"I was going to head home at first light but it is such a sunny day out there I find the bright light will bring on one of my headaches so I prefer to lurk down here in the catacombs." Ianto smiled softly, transforming into the handsome man Jack knew, even as he seemed to wave a hand at the cat.

"Catacombs. Ha! I get it. How many are down here with you?" Jack asked, then after a few moment's silence he realised Ianto was either unsure which seemed unlikely, or simply not willing to say so he asked "Is Owen OK?"

"He took a bite from the Weevil last night but he will recover. He is still aching from whatever they had that made them act like that, I suspect some sort of flu or something." Ianto shrugged. "The universal antidote has worked but he is still more antsy than usual."

"You are keeping him close."

"Yes."

"So … the recital tonight with Mica, ends about ten?" Jack asked with a soft grin "Any chance of…"

"Weevil hunt sir?"

Jack snorted with amusement as Ianto let a single eyebrow rise. "Ianto … you re such a tease."

"I do try" Ianto winked. Then he sighed "No … something stirs. I do not know what but I do not like it. Faith has left a card too. She wishes an audience."

Jack screwed his face up at the mention of the freaky little girl who was perhaps older than he was, her eerie supernatural ways both alluring and …ell… scary. "Can you come with?"

"You know I do not enter her realm" Ianto said softly "She does not know I am with you. I fear I might muddy the waters a bit."

"Come on" Jack poked at him "Please? Pretty please with raspberry jam?"

Ianto snorted, his sweet-tooth no secret between them.

.

.

.

The recital did not go past nine thirty, some kids off sick so with a polite kiss to Rhiannon's cheek Ianto was off back to the base in time to catch Owen and Gwen both infuriating one another with gusto.

"Might to be quiet tonight" Jack said as he let Ianto help him with his coat "Those two might go all evening without speaking."

"Hmmmm." Ianto relied, taking in the atmosphere with a slow nod.

"Come on ... if I have to see Faith, I would rather get it over with." Jack sighed "Come on … you can sit in the car and then we will take a moonlight walk in the park, hmm?"

Ianto took some files to read while he waited, settling in the passenger seat as Jack left the vehicle, locking it before he crossed the road and started inside the old theatre. Faith was there tonight. The strange little Queen of Hearts poster on the wall by the door telling him so.

Ianto had read the file and picked up another when he noticed the time. Jack had been in there for over an hour, longer than usual as Faith creeped Jack out as well as made him sad. He never stayed longer than half an hour tops, returning to Ianto slightly ruffled. Ianto lowered the file and frowned. The little poster was torn down, a scrap fluttering in the wind and he felt tendrils of fear emanating from the building. Not the usual dominance fueled ones that accompany the little entity…no. something was not right.

Ianto sighed as he thought of possible scenarios. The most likely is that someone else went to see Faith and there is currently a Mexican standoff as they were not welcome. Jack in the crossfire. Now… it's not that he can't take care of himself…Jack is a grown arsed man but… well … this could complicate things. Faith and Jack had a strange relationship and somehow the thought of them as odds with someone on hallowed ground was not good. They believed in that shit. Hallowed ground. Some did.

Ianto did not.

He owned this dirt before Christ came along spouting his free will and love for all bullshit that got him killed. Oh yes… Ianto was around long before that. Faith? Well … she has been around so long now he didn't think of her as a little girl, merely another entity like him. Albeit a child.

Well … damn it.

I guess in the end this was something on his turf then.

.

.

.

The name Djinn derives from Old Arabic and means "covert" or "darkness." Most Djinn are secretive, covert spirits who are invisible most of the time.  
Also known as:  
Jinn; Genie; Jinni  
Manifestations:  
Djinn famously manifest as snakes, cats, or dogs. It's considered dangerous to injure, kill, or even annoy any of these creatures as it may be a Djinn in disguise.  
The most powerful individual Djinn have personal preferences in terms of offerings as well as colors.  
Offerings:  
The traditional offering involves pouring oil over flour. Jewish Djinn like fruit jam. Christian Djinn have the reputation of eating anything, but that may just be from the Islamic perspective. Djinn tend to like alcoholic beverages, candles, and incense, especially benzoin.  
They hate salt. Make sure anything given to them was prepared without salt, or it will be rejected and their enmity earned.  
They don't like noisy, crowded places although they are curious spirits and will venture out to observe or even participate in fairs, markets, and festivals. Djinn enjoy stories and can be pacified or lured by telling exciting, suspenseful tales. They will hover quietly in corners and listen. In the manner of Scheherazade, should you need to keep a Djinn calm or play for time, keep telling stories.  
• Some Djinn are skilled shape-shifters and may appear in any form.  
• Some Djinn are consistently benevolent and are venerated and loved.  
There seems to be many variations in many different cultures and religions, they respect them and fear them a little. Or love them to the point of considering them a personal God or Deity.


	3. curious cats

Ianto sighed as he got out of the SUV and wraithed into the building past the men waiting with their guns, serious expressions and stupid brains. He went down a few levels and found the room he wanted, slipping on to stand in the shadows of the statues in the corner, Jack in front of him as he laughed at their captor like this was some sort of social call.

Faith's anger thrummed like molasses in the air. Almost heady, Ianto imbibed as you would in a brewery full of free booze. She was so afraid she was not shielding enough, or it was so strong she could not help but let it seep into the air. It was so unlike her to give so freely and now her eyes seemed to change as she moved her head slightly in his direction, feeling the presence of someone older than her nearby. As it brought him gentle power, it gave her power too, straightening her shoulders as she now knew whoever it was, they were watching. Rule number one… don't misstep in front of a Watcher of the Worlds.

"Come on little one. We've had enough of this shit, take the curse off me Da." One of them demanded his knife cutting the air close to her face. She did not flinch. Of course not. Not like you can hurt her kind. Only piss her off.

"Picking on little girls. Seriously Hayden … you are slipping" Jack laughed "Come on. Seriously? Your father's gambling and gunrunning debts are nothing to do with Miss Faith and you know it. He needs to lay off the whores, drugs and booze, remember he has a wife… you know.. your ma… and suck it up like most men do. This middle aged crisis thing is a myth."

"Now, now" the man scoffed at Jack, then he moved so fast it was a blur bringing the knife down on Jack's hand. Jack yelled with pain and Ianto reacted, reaching across the table to seize the man, wrenching him off his feet into the air as he snarled, shaking him like a rag doll.

Everyone scattered as Faith slowly rose to stand watching as Ianto brought the man's face within inches of his own and hissed like a cat. Then he dropped him and turned to Jack who had removed the knife and was calmly wrapping his hand in a piece of the table cloth.

As he exited the room Faith said softly to herself like some sort of incantation "Call the smoke into being, call your fate on yourself. For the magi now comes. See? He has you"

The man sat on the floor dazed as Jack stepped over him, looking back at her as her men seized the man and dragged him off for a good talking to "Whatever this is Faith, I do not like it. Things are falling apart around here. Once upon a time no one would challenge you… or me. Now… how they have gone too far."

"Agreed" she called after him, her shawl pulled tightly around her shoulders as the cold air still lingered from Ianto's ire. As he passed her she shrank back against the wall, her eyes wild as she recognized the spark of their momentary touch.

She curtsied to her elder, deeply folded so her skirts fanned out and she dared not look up until she was sure he was gone.

He still scared the shit out of her.

.

…

.

"Let me see" Ianto said, grabbing Jack's hand in the street lamp's soft lighting, turning it to see the already healing wound. He brought the hand to his lips, kissing it and licking at the blood still pooled there, then after a moment or two he dropped it, looking up into Jack's eyes "that was not good."

"No, did you see it? Openly challenging her. This is bad Yan. Really bad. If they are feeling strong enough to challenge Faith… whose next?" Jack agreed, holding up the now pristine hand as Ianto had kissed it better in a manner his advanced healing could not compete with.

"I scared her."

"Tiger… you scare everyone who calls down that cold anger of yours" Jack assured him "I am glad you came looking for me. I didn't like that one little bit and didn't want to break the truce with the no shooting rule."

"He came for her… not you" Ianto said after pondering for a moment, the motion of his finger caressing his top lip almost hypnotic to Jack "This is not our dance."

"No… but my dance card just got clipped lover" Jack reminded him "They rang my bell."

"Hmmmmm." Ianto agreed, looking back at the entranceway to the theatre "They certainly rubbed me the wrong way."

"I'm hungry" Jack said after a moment, knowing this would distract Ianto, the one who knew this was an open attempt to deflect and allowed it. For now.

.

.

.

.

The man was a bloody mess, dragged to the alley way for the street sweeper to find in the morning. The alley cats yowled and scattered, returning as the light from the back door was cut off with a resounding slam of the door.

The Tabby came from the shadows. Larger than any other cat there, sleek and mesmerizing in his stalk. Black and smoke stripes that seemed to undulate and swirl in his coat. Sensual and alluring. Sexy. A sexy meow. He tripped with that carefree skip over the puddles to approach the man who was moaning softly as he wished for death to come. The black and white queen that had followed him stood back as if waiting for her cue.

Several other cats were already there to imbibe of his last life-force's breath and they ran like the hounds of hell were after them when they saw the dark Tiger coming, giving him all the space he needed to lean in close and look into the man's eyes. The man looked up into iridescent blue pools, whimpering now as the pain seemed to flow from him like water… leaving a numbness as those blue sapphires blinked turning to smoke on the water. Ash. Coal.

The cats sat watching the man's final breath, breathing it in deeply, imbibing not only the power of that life but the knowledge released. Those memories in the final moments that told the Tiger Stripes who this man was. He retreated, allowing the others to take his space. As he stalked back along the edge of the wall his front feet rose, the back ones lengthening to become a striding pair of legs in stylish bellbottomed slacks. The black and white fluffy queen walked jauntily behind him like she was the one in charge ta.

Ianto left the alley to the cats once more, their relief as their Ungodly Boss took the chilly air with him.

It would be some time before they felt their fur return to sleekness, the fuzz of alarm as heavy in the air as death.

The Djinn had called their way and to see a Djinn in the realm of man meant only one thing.

Death.

.

.

.

.

Owen was swinging in his chair as Ianto entered the base, the black suit and grey shirt making the blue tie pop. "Hey Ianto."

"Owen? Where's Gwen?" Ianto said as he passed, dropping a stunned but clearly still alive rat on the desk. Owen made a noise of glee, snatching it up by the tail as it twitched and seemed to wake from a deep sleep and he ran for the autopsy bay and spare cages for the rare offerings.

No one could catch rats like Ianto.

Owen loved them like little pets, didn't like experimenting on them at all, only the store bred white ones. These big bastards … these bad rats were different. He named them, fed them and was most affectionate to them.

Ianto liked this strange trait in the otherwise grumpy fellow.


	4. dead zone

Jack was in the lower levels staring at the map of the underground system. Ianto approached "Looking for something?"

"A room. I remember a room full of old furniture. Saw something at Faith's tonight, an old vanity that made me wonder where my own one went. It was a little set of drawers each side that…" Jack's voice faded away as Ianto reached out to tap the map "Level G. I thought so. Right. Ta."

Ianto shrugged and went on his way lower…lower… below the brickwork of the Hub, below the old mining system until finally he was in the catacombs that were so deep they were warm from the central earth's core.

Ianto settled in a chair to ponder the strange events of this night. Lulu the black and white queen landed in his lap for attention and he absently rubbed her ears as he pondered the evening's events. Something was stirring in the ethos of power, someone or something was trying to make themselves seen. Heard. Feared.

Ianto didn't like competition.

.

.

.

"So, what do you think?" Jack asked.

"It is very nice. Early Edwardian?"

Jack turned to look at him with surprise "Yes. This was one of my wife's favourite pieces. Had been a wedding present from her parents."

"Elizabeth?"

"yes. I told you about her right? Three gorgeous children."

"Jack Junior, Edward and little Emily" Ianto nodded, "Consumption."

"Yeah. They went fast. Small comfort I guess, a matter of days. Elizabeth died before little Eddie … buried them all together."

"Death is a cruel thing. Humans are so … fragile" Ianto struggled for the right words "Delicate. That is the price for loving them. Loss."

"You never… well. Of course. Lisa. Was she the first? The first human you felt for? NO ... Rhiannon's grandmother?" Jack settled back to see if Ianto would answer. Sometimes he did, sometimes he didn't. Jack hoped this would be a time where Ianto would share.

"Every few hundred years or so… one interests me. No…that sounds too clinical. No. One… enthralls me or … holds a piece of my heart for a while." Ianto shrugged "I also understand the meaning of loss. I learned long ago to hold back a little… to deny myself that last once of joy so the loss would not feel as bitingly awful as the first few did."

"I try but… I am a kind of all or nothing sort of guy. Hurts like a bastard every time" Jack sighed.

"First time I saw you, there in Bute Park I knew you were going to be trouble" Ianto smiled as he stepped closer "I knew something about you was different. Healing from that Weevil like that… so … by the stars you smelt good. Your pain was different, your envy was alluring. It took so long to gain your trust, to get under your skin. Took my pet in the end"

"Myfanwy. Still love that leather bird" Jack smiled back "What's it been? Come on ... you were watching me long before you decided to come here. You came here for Lisa but you have been here longer than that. This place… you have been living under this city for millennia."

"Well … let's say longer than you" Ianto snorted, leaning in to lick Jack's cheek gently "Long enough to know that you are as unique as I. There are so few of us left yet you… are an enigma."

"I saw the way Faith reacted to you. She knows you. Knows you are more than just a normal one… what is it? What made her flinch like that when she saw you out the corner of her eye?" Jack asked.

"Because she knows me. She knows I am not your normal entity. I am ancient… one of the originals. A God." Ianto snorted with amusement, and then slumped back against the wall "whatever that means. At least, we were worshiped as such by those early examples of man. Those slaves, bowing to their masters. Cowering in the dirt. I opened the flood gates, I smote those slave masters … I freed them. What did they do? Created their own god. So I waited. Went underground and waited. Every now and then I come up for air, walk the streets and smell the dank nightlife. Drugs came, debauchery ws always there… I reveled in it. Then…. One day… I didn't."

"That's happened to me" Jack agreed with surprise "Like waking from a dream, ya know? Happened for the first time with John when we are in a nightclub on a pleasure planet. Drugs, whores… good times. Suddenly it was like someone had dumped a bucket of cold water over me. Sober. Boom, just like that. I looked around and was wondering what the hell I was doing."

"An epiphany" Ianto whispered against his cheek as he drew Jack into an embrace "Fleetingly unpleasant aren't they?"

"Ianto … are we dancing?" Jack whispered feeling his feet moving and he realized they were. Ianto was humming as they moved around the room and Jack felt like he was made of marshmallow. His innards were mushy… caramel… taffy. Jack kissed Ianto, reveling in the warmth that spread to his very bones.

"But for you" Ianto sighed sadly "For you I give it all. You son of a whore."

Jack could only kiss him again.

.

.

.

.

"Jack… an anomaly over at the docks" Toshiko called out as she watched Jack wander across the Hub floor. He stopped walking and turned to talk to her. He motioned for her to continue "I am not sure. I don't think it's rift but… well… it's like some sort of well… sounds silly but… it's like a dead spot. A Dead Zone."

"A Dead Zone?" Ianto said, making her squeak as she swung to find him by her chair and he grimaced "Sorry little blossom. Should have cleared my throat."

She smiled at him and turned back to the screen as his hand brushed the back of her neck affectionately and she tapped her screen with a pale pink fingernail "See here? Down at the docks, this dark spot. Nothing. Nothing at all. No noise, no light… like… not even feedback."

"A portal" Ianto said softly "bad news. Any Mara activity?"

"Shit" she said softly "Hadn't thought of those."

"Let's hope I am wrong. They are not good news" Ianto muttered as he watched her fingers dance over the keyboard calling up CCTV footage of the area, seeking anything that might suggest Mara activity.

Ianto knew there was a school nearby.

All he needed to know, to know he might have to flex.

Damn it, he hates topside drama.


	5. a kitty call

Ianto was walking quickly along a back alley, the homeless shifting in their sleep like a cold wind had whipped up, Ianto making the swirling dervish of rubbish and dust swirl around his feet as he walked.

Morning was coming, confrontation was too. He knew now that it was Mara.

Lulu ran eagerly between his legs, each footfall avoided with that unnerving accuracy of a cat. She knew where they were going; eager to get there as it had been some time since her master had visited this den.

Entering was easy for him, not so much for her and those following but cats are nothing if not lithe. Soon clambering down through a broken window to follow his shadow into the old building that seemed derelict from the outside. Ironically it was an old abandoned church. For some reason these old buildings full of ghosts and memories were better suited to the dark happenings.

Six people were there, candles lit and soft talking as they prepared their offerings. They all had a matching tattoo behind their left ear. It was a cat's face. A simply design of two eyes of the most powerful blue, two pointed ears and the whiskers seemed to be so long the cat must be huge that if represented size, bleeding into their hairline one side and into the fold of the ear the other.

Ianto stood back watching as his minions let themselves be seen. Lulu leading the parade of fuzzers that entwined themselves around the pots of food, candles and little clay figurines of cats. The one they stopped at was one that was not a cat at all but some being that had four feet, the tail of a cat and overall appearance but the face was human.

"Hello sweeties" the woman closest to the front crooned "Wow, so many tonight. Here, we have food for you too. But this bowl is for the Djinn. OK?"

Ianto craned his head to see some freshly picked raspberries and blackberries, sprinkled with what can only be icing sugar. Oh my. He usually waited for them to disperse but he wanted something from them this night. Finally, he knew the time had come to reclaim some light, if only in their flickering candles. He stepped into the light and reached for the bowl, making those in the group cry out, falling back with shock at his materialization.

He turned to face them, popping a berry into his mouth as the cats feasted from the little bowls of fish and minced meat. "You honour me with offerings. You come regularly and are devoted. I wish to warn you, bad things are afoot in the fog tonight, do not travel alone. Warn others, a time of violence comes in the shadows, stick to the light for me."

One of the humans crept forward on his hands and knees, looking up with awe at the man who stood before, twice the size of a mortal man, calmly eating their food "We seek the blessing of the one who cares for our city."

"Oh. Think I care, do you?" Ianto asked with amusement "weeeeellll, maybe a little. It is mine after all."

Ianto popped in another berry and looked over them again "Where is Hogarth. The fat one?"

Several of them looked surprised as they realized he knew them by name, then one spoke "He got nicked for B&B only… it was his ex misuses' place and she invited him over, then did the whole 'there's an intruder in my house' bullshit. Apparently he's looking at some time for this one. Last time she said he hit her when she was slapping her own damned self while screaming at him, the phone call to police making it sound like he was doing it. Poor sod can't prove a thing!"

Ianto grunted. He liked the fat one. He always remembered Ianto's liking for grapes. Always some purple grapes from him. Ianto liked purple things. Sweet things. He didn't like to hear about this. Hard for a man to prove his innocence against some allegations, and it was an evil thing to do when so many really did suffer at the hands of their partner. Ianto knew this boy didn't have a nasty bone in his body. After all … Ianto knew him inside and out. A brief touch all he needed to read someone so open to him.

"I see" he finally said softly "Thank you for your explanation. Next time ... make sure he is here. I like his offerings. And his funny t-shirt slogans."

Ianto spun on his heel and walked off, dissipating into thin air, a twist of dark smoke wafting up to the ceiling as they gaped, then one said "Well … fuck me. Was that real?"

"He." Another corrected softly "HE is real. Told ya!"

.

.

.

.

"Hello Andy" Ianto smiled as he leaned on the counter to look at Andy Davison through the Perspex glass and the man started then smiled with delight, rushing to open the side door, allowing Ianto into their realm.

"Come on in Ianto me old china. How are ya?" he gushed happily.

"Good. Good, you know me. Trundling along following the tails of a Great Coat mopping up as I go" Ianto smiled as he accepted the hastily offered chair. More than one officer passing seeming to pause as if he felt something fleetingly alarming that seemed to leave just as quickly. So stressed. So full of worry, stress and disappointment in their own kind. This was like a candy store ya know, Ianto enjoying himself as he watched Andy settling into his own seat.

"What's your fancy?" Andy asked as he offered bowl of boiled sweets from his top drawer, leaning forward to address a man he had known a long time, liked more than he cared to admit and always felt comfortable and maybe a little happier around.

Ianto did not mind sharing that either.

"You have one here called Hogarth. A fat one. Ex is a cow that sets him up on a regular basis to see how far she can push it" Ianto said and Andy shot to his feet motioning for Ianto to follow him along the corridors, the rabbit warren that was a shiny, more clinical version of the Hub's first level.

"This one?" Andy asked sliding open a small window in a door and Ianto looked in, saw who he wanted and nodded. "Shit. She's got him good this time."

"Any chance we can shake him loose?"

"Shaking someone? Isn't that the Captain's job to shake someone?"

Ianto turned to see Swanson approaching, her footsteps faltering as she saw the soft smile starting on Ianto's face. Almost predatory. Sort of reminded her of the Cheshire Cat and she thought only Jack could make her thing of fantasy creatures like that.

"Ianto wants to know if we can flick him loose. He knows the ex is doing this for impact. Really … we do too ya know" Andy told her, stepping slightly behind Ianto as he stepped forward to reach out for her hand, her seemingly unable to resist acceding the unspoken request as she held her hand out for him to clasp gently "Katherine my dear. Come .. give me this one and I will tell you that after a visit to the address of the alleged assault that the ex is not only lining her pocket with the victim benefits but her bed is kept warm by a new man known to you. Jeffery Gordon. Looking for him, are you not? Where do you think he is right now? Watching TV in her unkempt flat while sucking down a can of Brains!"

"You're shitting me!" Andy spluttered.

"Nope, and he has surveillance cameras set up to protect his drugs in the house. Find his hard drive under the spare bed, find the proof this man is innocent. One above the door, will show her letting him in, also will show her calling him earlier in the night to ask him to come over for her little display of thuggery. Come on … am I asking so much?" Ianto raised an eyebrow and she sighed.

"Cut him loose" she finally said to Andy, determination on her face "If anyone wants me I will be doing a fucking raid."

Ianto hummed as he left the Heddlu station, confident now that his grapes would return in due course.

He may not really be a god but his disciples… they deserved his attention all the same.

Those left that still believed in the power of the Djinn.

And let's be honest…. He needed their power too.


	6. we all need to learn our place

"Ianto?"

Ianto looked up to find Gwen in the doorway of the file room he was currently in, rising to meet her as he hid his annoyance. Man, she really rubbed his fur the wrong way ya know. "Yes Gwen?"

"I would rather have Chinese today for lunch. That sandwich repeated on me something awful" she complained.

"Well … since it was not yours, the filling was not what you like now was it. A bit of … gotta follow through now … happened did it not? Perhaps it might have been easier to say you did not like it and swap?" Ianto asked "I still do not know why you and Owen must bicker so much."

"He disrespects me!" she pouted.

"How? When he is of higher rank than you? Is it not you disrespecting an officer?" Ianto canted his head "Owen is second in charge after all."

She stood staring at him, her mouth opening and closing a few times as she let it sink in what he was saying. "What?"

"You didn't replace Suzie… you filled a vacancy in the team numbers. Jack likes the number five. Five and Thirteen are his lucky numbers. I have no idea why." Ianto sighed "I do not have a lucky number."

"Really?" Gwen blinked then frowned "So… Owen?"

"Yes. The only person here with more right is me and I do not like being charge of anything. More of a Watcher, me." Ianto smiled softly as he reached out to flick a hank of fringe out of Gwen's eyes "You look tired. Want to go get the lunch order? Hmmm? Bright out there today and I am rather grumpy amongst all those people. Don't' want to gut someone if there are children close by now, right?"

She lit up as she heard the promise of a walk across the Plass and maybe time to enjoy a latte on the way back. Ianto also knew she snuck an extra cream bun. Never calls her on it. Besides, it gave her a chance to chew over the dynamic shift now she understood her place on the team.

Ianto mat be ancient, but he is always hopeful.

Even if deep down he knows these apes are stupid as hell.

.

.

Lulu seemed to have been waiting for him, leaping gracefully from a top stack like she was some sort of circus performer, not a cat at all. Ianto laughed as he leapt as well, catching her and landing with her against his chest, burying his face in her long lush fur.

"Hello darling. I sent the Gwen Woman for food for them, came down here to see if you got anything more from the others." Ianto purred, his fingers doing things to her shoulders that made her purr too.

He hummed as if a conversation was taking place then he gently placed her in a red velvet chair with a huge green cushion that she settled on with glee. She curled herself up like a sea shell, watching him as he walked to the far end of the den and placed some treats into a large china bowl.

"I will go back up and see if they need drinks. I will ponder this a while. If there is more than one in the area we need to watch more closely. These did not come though the Rift. They have their own portal magic. I can only assume we have a legion of these demons skulking around. I need to know their new haunts if I am to stomp them out. I had thought Mara… these are much worse. Tell the others to be careful."

Ianto was walking to the door and he paused, looking back to say jauntily "I can stomp when I need to missy, the mincing is not for just any old Tom Dick or Jack!"

He could hear the soft laughter as he wandered up through the levels, the psychic link to this one strong.

Sweetie.

.

.

Jack was still stewing over the thing with Faith. This needed to be addressed and he knew Ianto was making enquiries as well so he was impatiently trying to wait for him to come with his own thoughts on the matter. In the years they had known one another, Jack knew Ianto only spoke when he was ready to. Jack also knew that he had known Ianto a lot longer than he had originally thought. He just hadn't 'seen' Ianto until he approached him for a job after T1 fell.

Ianto didn't just have Cardiff, he had the entire piece of dirt in his pocket. England...Wales... probably Scotland too. Jack knew deep down of all his kind, he held sway and this was his domain. Any other visiting would do so briefly and Ianto would know about it. Why Ianto's annoyance thrummed for Jack.

Whoever this was… they were… Ianto was bristling.

And if Jack didn't keep his finger on the pulse of this it might all blow up.

If this was what he was afraid it might be… only flame and brimstone can cleanse.

Gods, he hopes it is not a bloody demon or two.

Little did he know…


	7. preparing for the night

"Ianto? Who was the recital for?" Gwen asked as they settled to eat, seems the only time they are all in the same room lately is when they eat. Notice that?

"My…niece" Ianto said as he pretended to swallow, glancing at Jack who saw the request for help.

"So Gwen, the wedding plans?" Jack asked innocently widening his eyes "Did you find a frock?"

"Oh god, my Mother-in-law to-be hates me. Wants me in some sort of Disney Princess thing with my tits hanging out. I know it's to tell everyone I am a whore for looking like that…" So began half an hour of moaning, tit heaving and Owen choking more than once as he tried to hide his mirth.

Finally she seemed to dwindle and Ianto cleared his throat "And Toshiko? The weird anomaly showed itself again you say?"

"Yes, over near the docks like I showed you, then again early this morning one opened up behind the mall over in the new estate" she said with glee "Smaller. Like… maybe one or two travelling instead of the six or seven already that came through the first one."

Jack blinked "What?"

"The energy surges were arrivals, that's my theory" she explained to Jack, "we think someone or something arrived. CCTV in the area is not helping right now but I suspect some sort of beings."

Jack blanched looking at Ianto who gave him a look, then something whispered in his mind 'more demons' that had him grimacing.

"What?" Owen looked up, then over at Toshiko who wss picking up a chocolate drop, leaving some icing sugar behind on the plate. The frowned as he thought of something, then turned to Ianto "Hey, why did that old man do that weird thing with the smelly essential oil?"

"It's an old custom. Like… breaking bread for good luck" Ianto said as he tried to make it something Owen might understand. He was surprised to find the little shit had seen after all and been chewing on it "By accepting it, like a handshake or a hug, it means we are giving a nod to one another. Like… I see you … kinda thing."

"So… it's a religion thing?"

"No. No, it's a respect thing. I can't explain it to someone who is not part of the ….ah…. old ways?" Ianto said with a long pause, then adding "Like druids and things. You know.. pagans and stuff. Old shit."

"Ah. Boring old man in a sweater with a pocket hand sewn on and glasses on one of those string things. Erg." Owen nodded and went back to eating, completely accepting of this explanation as Jack shrugged at Ianto to show he ws also perplexed with the man's childlike behaviour sometimes.

Ianto drummed his fingers as he pondered the weird things happening, then an alarm started to sound down in the main Hub, Toshiko rising to run down the stairs. "Anomaly happening in Bute Park!

"Of course it is. Dusk approaches, the twilight hour is upon us. The perfect time for a demon to appear, wreaking havoc on the world of man" Ianto said with a droll voice, Jack sniggering as he pointed a t him.

"Oh god! That was sooo Vincent Price… if he had been Welsh!" Jack laughed.

Had he been Welsh, he would have been so scary the world could not take it! Owen agreed, pointing at Ianto with wide eyes "do that again. Your eyes got so…. Big."

"You know…" Jack began to say something when Ianto made a noise deep in his chest. Like a growl. Jack closed his mouth.

"What?" Owen said, looking between the two men with interest.

"He was about to say something that might get him decaf for a VERY long time" Ianto informed him and Jack smiled weakly as he knew damned well Ianto was not joking here.

"Well … me and Ianto will take this call" Jack said as he rose, walking confidently from the room as Ianto looked at the mess still there.

"Don't look at me, I have to go. Rhys is home tonight" Gwen said as she rose too "I am Not cleaning this up."

"Toshiko has to navigate with us" Jack said, eyeballing Owen who sighed and said morosely that he would do it

"Owen … scrapping the entire table of food, dishes and cutlery with your arm into a large body bag then feeding it to Ferdinand the Furnace will not make me happy!" Ianto warned with a shake of his finger and Owen opened his mouth to protest, then closed it as he was a little shocked that Ianto knew him so well as to know that was exactly what he had just thought to do.

"God. Tell me the dishwasher works" Owen flopped back in his chair theatrically.

"Yes." Ianto said with a roll of his eyes "it does."

"Well, thank fuck for small mercies" Owen said as he rose to start throwing out what he could.

As Jack and Ianto left the Hub floor, the Great Coat firmly on Jack's shoulders, Ianto swung back around the doorframe nd hit a large red button marked M, then headed after Jack.

Above everyone the large aviary rooftop started to open to allow the big bird her nightly flight.

She rose to follow her master.

For he had need of her this night.

Lulu already using the 'cat call' to pass on the message to all those in the area that the Boss was walking tonight.

Get out of his way.


	8. MY dirty old town

The cat watched silently from the top of the wall, his whiskers moving in the light breeze off the water as the crew on the dock unloaded the boat. The black and white queen beside him seemed disinterested but her twitching nose showed her more than mind interest in the faint tang of fish in the air.

Jack leapt onto the dock, turning to accept the bags from the crew of the boat. Their voices carried on the wind and the cat canted his head to listen as Jack thanked them for the trip, then he turned to face the man approaching.

"William. Hey buddy. How's things here?"

"Captain. Did you remember the magazines?" the large black man asked.

"Yeah, and the doll for little Annie" Jack agreed, following the man in the white hospital uniform up the dock onto the island and as he passed the cats, he glanced at them then did a double take, stopping to stare then shake his head as he continued into the Flat Holm facility.

After waiting for a while the Djinn rose into the air in a puff of smoke, the little black and white yawning as she was sucked into the vortex and popped out of existence.

.

.

They reappeared outside the Mermaid Warf entrance, her grumbling now annoying as she had fish on the brain now. Ianto calmly told her he would get some if she stopped whinging.

Whinging!

Honesty. A cat does not… whinge! A cat merely reminds forcefully! Gods. Whine. The very thought…

"Lulu! Enough. I will get you some" Ianto scolded gently, shaking his head as he looked over the mist covered water. Jack would be a while. He had time.

For what he had to do.

.

.

.

There were three of them. They moved in threes. Ianto had never considered the fact a lot of magical and mystical things moved in threes until now, pondering things as he watched them move down on the green grass, totally unaware the Djinn was standing up on the sculpture of an otter playing with fish in a cuvee of water, his arm around the wooden sculpture in a loving way. He loved this park and all the sculptures scattered about it.

One of them stopped moving, looking around as he felt something in the air, realising a beat to late he was in someone's patch. "Where is we again?"

"In my land" Ianto replied, stepping off the sculpture to float gracefully to the ground, landing with a solid thud that made the very earth around them vibrate "Hello."

The three demons stood shocked to silence then the smaller one sneered as he approached with malice. Always the little one. Ianto turned his hed to look directly at the stupid thing and his eyes started to shine an iridescent blue as he let his feet leave the ground. Bare feet. Did I mention that? His bell bottom trousers a dark midnight blue denim fluttering in the breeze like he had stepped out of Woodstock for a monetary reprieve from the music, the long frilled waistcoat also dark midnight blue but his paisley looking shirt actually when you looked closely at it, was a woodland scene with little woodland creatures sharing a tea party in a clearing.

His hair was almost collar length, the soft wavy curls moving around his face as he growled softly at the thing that was now stood stock still with horror as he showed himself to it. Ianto became himself, handsome. Alluring and unbelievably freakishly powerful.

"This is my dirt. You are here without permission and if you do not step back into your realm and leave mine unblemished I will smite you" Ianto said in that deep booming voice of one utterly pissed off.

Now the fat one spoke "And who are you?"

Ianto's head slowly moved to look at him… no. not right… his entire self moves to look at him.. simply… revolved in the air. The small one now started to move backwards slowly. He had at least started to feel alarmed, if not confused.

"Who do you think I am?" Ianto snorted then asked "Who told you this was an open realm? Hmmm? Who gave you a pass?"

"Friday!" the fat one scoffed "Friday himself!"

Ianto stared at him for awhile then whispered softly "Abbu Hassan? Really? Hmmmm? The Whirlwind?"

"Yeah!"

"Really? For I am the Whirlwind and if you wish to reap the whirlwind, you have called it down little fat man" Ianto smiled, his eyes shifting from the usually bright blue of a Djinn to a deep rich gold. Something none had ever seen in a Djinn before, then the little one took a further step back reaching behind himself to incant their portal.

" **Zawba'ah**." Ianto heard the little one whisper, wide eyes and a gaping mouth as he saw that they had poked the wrong one… this one sometimes also referred to as the Dragon for the brimstone in his wake.

"Yeah!" the fat one ws not so bright "He is fire and ash!"

"Soot and Ash" Ianto corrected "he soon will be for I shall burn him in the fucking fires of Hades for this!"

"You know… you don't talk like a Djinn" the tall one finally spoke with confusion.

Ianto looked at him and asked serenely "And whatever made you think I am just a Djinn?"

The little one had jumped, running into the portal and safety beyond as the Fat one stood stupidly in Ianto's gaze. The tall one finally joining his little brother as the fat one started to choke on …well… rose petals.

Yes.

Ianto was many things, part of this world and all in it.

In and out of time… anything and everything of this verse thrummed in his veins. Mara included.

He was their god too.


	9. scolding

"Crispy over in Bute Park" Owen roared as he looked over Toshiko's shoulder, Ianto swinging in a chair like he was bored as Jack entered the Hub.

"Really…" Jack said slowly "OK. Ianto? Up for an evening walk?"

"Are you finished with your private matter?" Ianto asked as he rose and plucked his jacket form the back of his chair, shrugging it on.

As they walked to the SUV Jack glanced at him "So... what did you do today?"

"Oh.. you know. Fed the cat… fed the inmates… fed the kids, I mean team… filed work… took a little walk in the mist… I like the mist that blew in this afternoon and when you entered I was about to order pizza." Ianto shrugged.

"Oh? I thought I saw your cat today" Jack smiled "that little cheeky queen. What's her name… Lulu?"

"Oh? She's been with me all day" Ianto blinked slowly as he stopped walking to wait for Jack to open his door for him.

Little known fact … Djinn don't like metal. He would prefer not to touch it if he didn't have to and Jack had long since learnt this, looking long and hard at Ianto before opening the door for Ianto to elegantly slip into the seat.

"Thought so" Jack muttered.

"So. Your grandson's birthday next week" Ianto said making Jack pause, then turn the key.

"Shit. Thank, I had forgotten. I am so bad at dates. I know… I know. A bloody time traveller with a date problem but… my VM shorted and I relied on it so heavily" Jack shrugged.

"I know. Why I reminded you" Ianto smiled at him "He is into those Harry Potter book right? Apparently there is an omnibus just about to be released with monsters and dragons in it, some side stories. Rare. Expensive."

"Oooo, can you perchance… acquire that for me?" Jack asked as he drove sedately through traffic on the main roads.

"Mehaps I can" Ianto winked and Jack laughed softly knowing Ianto probably already had it somewhere. He was touched that Ianto remembered Stephen's birthday. Of course Jack had not forgotten, he never forgot the important dates. He also knew that Ianto knew this and the reminder was to start the conversation and allow jack to ask for the book instead of Ianto simply placing it on his desk unannounced. That would be rude and presumptuous. Also… it would show he cared.

Ianto liked order to things.

Everything was about case and effect. Requests, gifts and completion.

"So. What about you? What are you doing for your birthday" Jack asked as he swung around a corner and Ianto looked at him out the corner of his eye like he had suddenly gone slightly mad and might attack or grow an extra head.

Jack glanced at him "you know? It is August. They will try something."

Suddenly Ianto remembered the date written on his employment file and groaned. Every year the team tried to make that day special. His 'birthday' which is a random date he shifts every few decades or so. Damn it. He knew something had been scratching in the back of his mind and "STOP!"

Jack stomped on the brakes as three Demons ran past in the mist, illuminated in the fog lights. The two men in the vehicle silently watched, their heads turning as they comprehended what they were seeing.

"Fuck! What the hell!" Jack roared with anger swinging the wheel to follow and the wheels rolled over the curb easily, over the garden and Ianto had to yell for Jack to sop before they rolled into the bloody creek.

They exited the vehicle and Jack ran. Of course. He likes running ya know. Ianto simply wraithed to the little fuckers and tripped the lead one with the root of a tree, the other two tumbling over their fallen comrade to land in a mess of limbs and hooves.

Yeah.

"Ew. They have hooves" Jack said, then grimaced "Sorry. That sounded rude guys, I didn't mean that the way it came out. Anyone hurt?"

"No sir" three little voices chimed and the demons stood like school children caught stealing apples. Jack grinned as he placed his hands on his hips and addressed them as such.

"Now... does your mother know you are out here rampaging? Hmmm? Would she be pleased to learn you almost got run over? Hmmm?" Jack asked with a stern glare.

Shuffling hoove s and eyes cast down as they shook their heads.

"Well… maybe since you are clearly just kids I can overlook this.. this time. Go home and behave and I will not have to tell your mother, OK?" Jack looked down his nose, Ianto looming behind him in the fog like a huge mountain of wrath. Heads nodded enthusiastically as their eyes grew larger, the real threat hanging in the air… literally.

As they shot off into the flash of light Jack turned to find Ianto behind him examining the flowers on the bushes "see Ianto? Just need to speak plainly to them in a language they understand."

"Yes Cariad. Clearly you have a way with the creatures" Ianto nodded sagely, smiling as they walked back to the SUV.

"Ianto?"

"Yes?"

"Did you do that… looming thing behind me again?"

"Of course not. No need… you loom so well yourself. See their eyes?"

Jack was mollified.


	10. the length of string

UNIT were already on the scene and jack huffed as he watched them bag and tag the rest of the crispies. Jack checked for latent Rift activity and found none so was not sure if he really cared. Less paperwork?

"Ah, Captain Harkness!" a voice said and Jack grumbled under his breath as he turned to watch the smarmy prick in the red hat… I mean…

"Lieutenant. Lovely to see you." Jack gave his beat shit eating grin that he knew pissed this man off no end.

"This is our spot!" the man said with that air of a lot of toffy nosed smarmy pricks… I mean men in red hats usually have.

"Do you see me pissing on anything?" Jack asked, still grinning wide and sweetly.

The lieutenant's smile faded as he looked the man up and down and was about to say something unflattering when he became aware of another standing with them. He slowly turned his head to see the handsome young man in the three piece suit compete with pocket watch on an antique chain, his eyes boring into him.

"This is my man Ianto." Jack said gleefully "remember him? You ran that cat over that time then fell and broke your leg. Thought something tripped you. Remember? Ianto is the one who told you the rain was going to get really heavy. It did. Sorry we couldn't spare an umbrella. MY hair ya know…. No hat."

The man glared at Jack with open malice as Ianto let his eyes pan down then he asked in that soft Welsh lit "So, do you walk with a limp now?"

"Oh he always limped Yani. Compensating for a small dick makes a man limp to pretend weight" Jack said conversationally. "At least…that's s what I heard. I don't need to limp, same of you."

"Look here you…"

The man had reached out for jack's Coat lapel and met Ianto's hand that closed so gently over this man's that he was unaware of the capture until the pain. White blinding pain.

"Clarkson! Are you messing with Torchwood again?" a voice boomed and Jack turned like nothing was happening here, waving as the brigadier slid from the jeep he had just arrived in.

"Hello Briggy Bartman. I was just thinking of you." Jack purred. "talking about men who don't need to limp."

The Brig looked past Jack to his man who stood with a red face, immobilized by the vice grip of the unassuming young man that had hold of him. Jack turned and looked "Oh that. He was gonna poke me. I don't like being poked… well.. not without foreplay. Ianto is very protective. Like a mama bird. Of velociraptor or something. Big teeth, claws and stuff. Your man really needs to learn to keep his hands to himself or Ianto might chop it off. You know… once upon a time they did that. Not just for thieves… but for someone who touched another's property in general. Or bond-mate. You touch someone's piece of arse and …CHOP… Ianto carries a big knife too. I have a nice arse ya know. Ianto likes it. MY arse… and his big knife. Like a machete!"

"Does he now" The brig asked, amused.

"Everything about him is big" Jack winked and then giggled like a school girl, slapping at the Brig, "Anyway. You can have this one, I was only here to check it out. These are of no interest. Rather crispy, but not from our neck of the woods. I dare say though… whatever drained him of his life-force might be alien in origin. They do leave that smell in the air … Suchutha."

"Yes. It was two actually, seems to have been a mating pair" Ianto said calmly.

"How do you know that" The Brig asked then snorted "Please release my idiot."

Ianto unfurled his fingers and the man fell to his knees, panting as he cradled his hand to his chest like a wounded bird. The Brig shook his head "Go see the medic. And learn your place. You know… he really might chop it off next time. I've seen this man's rare show of temper and believe me… he does not just go off.. he goes supernova! The last man to challenge him did not fare well. And it ws a mild punishment there. Something about running over a cat, got a broken leg for it!"

Jack coughed softly with amusement as the man now looked up at Ianto with horror as Ianto winked seductively, then slunk off. The man looked after him and Jack stepped in the way "Careful there that man. I don't share either."

"For fucksake, piss of to the bloody medics like I told you" The Brig muttered and the hapless man finally staggered to his feet wandering off to find some painkillers.

Ianto meanwhile looked around as the Brig turned back to Jack "OK. What makes them a mating pair?"

"See that over there? On the bush? That white stuff? Jizz. One of them was so excited it came." Jack pointed "Means one of them is in heart and they are both to a level where they will mate soon. Taking energy from their victims for the big date."

"Ewww" the Brig screwed his nose up.

"I know. Exactly. I've seen them mate and believe me… even I was a little put off" Jack sighed wistfully, looking up at the sky "And that tells ya something."

Ianto was back, standing close by and Jack turned to him "Well?"

"They are in the sewers. The Weevil are tracing them so … we can stay and play… or we can go play in the tunnels down below." Ianto said with that solemn dry tone of his.

"Oooo, going down" Jack gushed as he skipped off leaving the Brig to look at Ianto again and frown.

Do I know you? Perhaps your father? You look awfully a lot like a man I once knew…"

"World War II was a heady time and you were lucky to survive the crash. OF course I resemble the man who helped you from the wreckage as it was a relative. But seriously man.. had it been me … what a lark. I do believe our mad man over there is the only immortal, although the Doctor might come close."

The Brig laughed and clapped Ianto on the shoulder before wandering off leaving Ianto to apparate at the SUV as Jack reached for the door handle. Ianto slid into the seat and looked over at the old man who stood talking to some other Red Hats. WWII, he was a young man back then. He had three little children, a lovely wife who had just lost her father and two brothers to the war… he had done what he could. Besides… she had prayed to the right god I suppose.

Ianto was kind when he wanted to be.


	11. might get messy

Faith had walked the evening air. She had sat at a park bench as dusk approached and turned cards, tapped her finger and sighed. She had talked softly of what she had foreseen and Ianto did not like this. She was never wrong about her visions and his only saving grace was that she assured him that it was not a fixed point. A variable. He had time to adjust the settings as it were.

Ianto knew he would have to do something about these little shits popping in about the place and he had many options but decided the easiest would be the most unpopular amongst the others in the area. Ianto knew he would need some super strength to do it, it might deplete him and he would need time to recover but it ws becoming clear that he had little choice but to do this.

Close the portals, lock it down and clean up the mess.

The first part was doable but the second? That was going to be a problem and he knew it would not be an easy task to track down heavens only knows how any of these little horrors currently in the realm of man.

Ianto slid into Jack's office and settled in the chair to wait for Jack to finish his phone call. He did o with his usual flair, telling the persons on the other end to polish his knob, then slammed it down with glee, leaning back in his own chair to look at Ianto.

"I must reinforce the shields of this realm. Only way to stop the portals popping open all over the place. More are going to come and it will be the start of a major invasion that could wipe out man. Only the Rift will be able to penetrate it." Ianto said as he watched Jack swing his feet up onto the desk.

"How will you do that?"

"I will cast spells, incantations and magic shit" Ianto said blandly, making Jack grin.

"You are telling me because …?"

"Because I will be vulnerable during and for a short time afterwards. Anything on this side of the veil will feel what I am doing, will know what is happening and may see the opportunity to have a go at me. This will not be easy, I will expend a great deal of energy and will be vulnerable to attack." Ianto explained.

"Well… do it here so they can't get you… right. No?"

"No. I have to go to the Wilding Wood, the clearing where the Mara play. It has mystical properties, the leylines and such... it has a power to it, a connection to all around it. The best possible place to do it, if we want it to stick." Ianto shrugged.

"Out in the open. At night?" Jack grimaced, knowing the answer even as he said it "great."

"Yes. Jack… this is not getting better without intervention. They are emboldened now and I think that they believe me old and weak. This is a power play by someone who is looking to take my dirt. It happens every few millennia." Ianto leaned forward and smiled softly as he saw Jack's dismay "Hey. Life is a battle remember? Even an immortal knows pain and the fear of their life-force maybe not being as powerful as they hope. I will not die. This will not kill me… but there is a possibility that while I am compromised I can be caught."

"Genie in a bottle" Jack whispered.

"I hate that term. Yes. I can be caught, contained. And if so...enslaved" Ianto nodded, letting Jack take a moment to think this through.

"So… you cannot die but you can lose your strength, power. In that time if you are enslaved… when it returns you cannot break frees?" Jack asked with interest.

"Exactly. Upon finding my powers resorted I will not be the same person anymore. IF enslaved during my power down .. I will be forced to remain subservient until I am either released or … destroyed. My power shared with my master, my life theirs. My power… theirs. I will be… well… hobbled."

"But.. you are immortal" Jack pointed out "Right?"

"Jack… all must have a beginning and an end. Even us. Will we cease to exist? Become trapped between worlds in the void? Who knows? I do know some of my kind no longer exist here. Immortals bashed to some sort of limbo. It can happen" Ianto rose and started to pace, his discomfit in even talking about this thrumming between them.

"So what do you want to do then Tiger?"

"I… I think… something's happening Jack! Something is happening" Ianto said, turning to run from the room and Jack followed as the klaxons started to sound and the team scrambled to their workstations.

"Multiple spikes" Toshiko called out with excitement "Three…four…six… oh my god. Ten!"

"They are coming" Ianto said with sorrow "the invasion begins. I have to do this now. No more time"

Jack turned to say something but as he did Ianto seized his face in his hands and kissed him hard, the team sitting there with their mouths open as they watched Jack cling to Ianto like a heroine in a movie welcoming her man home from sea or something. Then Ianto released him and stepped back.

"Ianto…"

"I must do this" Ianto said sternly "for is it not a Friday? It is time. It is me who can do this, must. For I am the Friday Man. I love you." Ianto said then took a deep breath "Meet me there. No time to wait for you, I have to start now before more portals open."

"Fifteen" Toshiko said softly, trying got work out what was happening and then to the shock of all except the man he loves Ianto swirled and twisted transforming into pale blue smoke that slowly swirled up into the rafters then dispersed.

Jack stood staring at the spot then turned and started to run for the doors, shouting at the team to get ready for a night of mayhem, turning to look back as he pulled his coat on for himself. Felt weird. He fiddled with his VM and the aviary doors started to open above. "Balls to the wall kids… the circus has come to town and those clowns are as deadly as Pennywise!"

Then he was gone and Owen blinked, then shot from his seat to race after him.

Gwen reached for her phone "I'm calling Rhys."

Toshiko rolled her eyed and turned to watch the CCTV as Own reached the SUV and managed to get in as Jack started to move off.

Action.

Above them Myfanwy took to the skies.


	12. bam a lam

The woods were dark, the wind whipping tough the canopy of trees surrounding the clearing where Ianto stood waiting.

The city beyond the limits was starting to feel the effects of the influx of 'visitors' with people being attacked in the streets and general mayhem. Ianto knew it was only a matter of time before he would not be strong enough to seal all the portals as more opened like a dam starting to prepare to burst.

Mara were there, watching silently as he stood and scrunched his toes into the mossy ground then leaned forward to place his hands on the ground as well, finding dirt. He would need all the power he could get, also crouching to add their hands to the ground as well. All he can get. He closed his eyes and let himself bleed into the world around him. Grass. Dirt. Roots. Trees. Leaves. Birds. Mara… hello cousins. Out… go.. seek. More.

Ianto found the zoo and let himself bleed through thru concrete to the animals housed within. The Mara listened, watched and then some dispersed. They knew his plan now and were eager to help. After all … Friday's Child is loving and giving … and they will do the bidding of their oldest and wisest cousin.

They will assist.

Ianto felt the world breathe, the earth move and the sky above him seemed to change colour from the dense black of evening to a softer glow… more of a golden tinge to it like before or after a storm.

I am going for… before.

.

.

.

Jack slammed out for the SUV running for the woods as Owen got out and looked around with confusion. "Trees? Really?"

He then sighed and walked around the back of the SUV, getting out some things he was sure he would not even need then flicked open the large case that housed Bertha Boom Boom and followed the noise of Jack crashing though the undergrowth like a rhino on heat.

Jack found Ianto in the clearing, once more standing erect, his hands now reaching for the sky and he stopped running, crouching to undo his shoes. Owen came alongside and looked down "What the fuck are you doing? What is he doing?"

"Ianto is pulling power from the grid" Jack panted, "I have to … log on."

"Log on?"

"Patch in. Join him. Commune. You know… add" Jack rose and placed his bare feet into the clearing, feeling the power surge as Ianto turned his head to look at him, then look back up the heavens. Owen watched with interest then went to crouch. Jack said quickly "No… don't. He will bleed you dry without meaning to. This is going to hurt Owen. Ianto will never forgive himself if you are injured being this close to the epicenter of this."

"This." Owen was shouting now as the wind whipped up around them, the weird calm in the eye of the storm making them feel like they are in a fish bowl "What is this?"

"Owen… this is how the world began" Jack said with glee "Stand back and whatever you do... do not touch me or anything around you. Hands in pockets, your rubber soles will keep you safe. Just watch. Ianto is about to let loose on the world!"

Owen did not get it, did not understand a single thing Jack was saying but had learned long ago not to argue with him or his weird demands, slipping his hands into his pockets then turning back in time to see Ianto start to levitate several feet off the ground.

Owen blinked.

What the fuck?

Ianto started to turn slowly as the air started to crackle. Owen glanced over at Jack and found his hair was all standing on end like he was being electrocuted even though his face looked serene. Jack was staring at Ianto with such a look of … adoration that Owen was stunned. He loves him.

Ianto started to speak in an ancient, long dead language of the sand people, something that had Jack jerking as he recognized it immediately. Boeshanninan. Ianto was speaking an ancient dialect of HIS people and now Jack knew it was no game of chance that had brought him to this planet. Jack was looking at someone he now knew was the protector of not just this planet… but his.

"Friday" Jack whispered softly "My God."

Ianto looked at them, his eyes glowing with a golden glow, ringed with the most brilliant iridescent blue that made Jack feel weak at the knees. He grew, Became before them and Jack now saw the old pictures, the early markings of his people. His God. Friday. Ianto. The one who released man to the stars. Protected his journey, blessed the lands. Loved them all. Made the stars beacons.

Right now, Ianto was pulling them to him, the very power of the universe called to assist in this act as Ianto's voice lowered to a rumble, felt in the very bones of the two men witnessing.

"Holy shit" Owen breathed as he felt his own hair start to move.

"Don't. Move" Jack hissed, his own eyes wide as he watched Ianto fling his hands out, releasing the pent up emery and tendrils of bright blue lightning flew from his fingertips.

"Wow" Owen breathed, his mouth open as his ears popped. The sky blazed with colors, then golden hues of a false sunset… darkness fell.

Jack felt it too, his blood seeming to rush through his body at a crazy rate and his heart beat so fast that it was like a fright train then… it stopped. Jack frozen with shock as he felt everything freeze. He looked over at Owen and then at Ianto who was looking straight at him and Ianto smiled softly "Here they come Cariad"

Jack knew what this meant.

In releasing the power needed to shield this realm he had rung a dinner bell and all those this side of the now closed doors were coming to seek vengeance. Power. Ianto. As Ianto powered down and gracefully returned to the earth, folding into himself Jack started to run to him. The world came alive.

Owen yelped as he reached for Bertha.


	13. Thank God it's Friday

They came.

Like a wave of anger, these demons threaded through the trees and slammed into the bubble surrounding the clearing, Ianto turned slowly to watch them slather and snarl. Jack stood close but not touching as he was not sure if Ianto was still… er… live. Ya know?

"It won't hold much longer" Owen called out as he stood closer to the outer edge of the shield watching the slathering things slamming and slathering. Some like dogs, some like something of your worst nightmares. He was not sure which one to aim for first.

"Owen… come here." Ianto said calmly "Come away from that place."

Owen turned to look at him, then remembered the reason for his weird feeling "Oi. What the hell did you do?"

"I am a Djinn." Ianto said then rolled his eyes as Owen shrugged sarcastically "I hate being galled a Genie"

Owen stood staring at him as Jack added "Ianto is an ancient, an immortal being like a god. He just saved our bacon by closing the door to the otherworld and now the ones that already got through are pissed."

"It's OK" Ianto said calmly, "But… the shield around us here is fading. They are eating the energy from it, soon they will get through. We must defend Owen."

"Me?" Owen squeaked "What's so special about me?"

"Why… I love you little one" Ianto said with surprise "Of course you are special."

Owen stood with undisguised shock as another noise started to filter through the trees and the first roar sounded. Owen turned to watch with surprise as a large angry lion came from nowhere, slamming into one of the demons followed by a tiger. Owen shakily laughed with shock "All we need is a bear, oh my"

OK.

There was a bear too.

Myfanwy slammed into the clearing from above as Owen yelped, leaping behind Jack as the shield finally fell and the demons started to surge forward. The Mara now entered the fray as they dropped from the trees onto the back of the demons, biting and slashing. The air popped as some disappeared from reality, Owen blinking as he was not sure if any of this was real.

Yowling as alley cats came, Lulu in the lead as she screamed for loyalty from her brethren, racing past a tiger locked in a battle like it was not there, only ending the run to stand with one foot possessively on Ianto's bare foot.

Myfanwy leaned down to pluck up a demon, smashing it into a tree then throwing it into the fray of limbs, squeals and fur flying.

Dogs.

It seemed like every dog in Wales was there… maybe England coming in a wave as Owen clutched the back of Jack's coat and looked around, then he felt Bertha slap against his thigh and he decided to earn his keep.

Owen stepped up to flank Ianto and Jack. Settling behind them as the surge moved forward letting Bertha bark and the large canon shot forth an energy bolt that caught four all in one steam. "Boo YAHHHH!"

Gaining some coincidence Owen stepped further away and swung the stream as the Mara leapt out of the way, devouring demons left and right. Jack swung and grabbed Owen pulling him back as he felt the space grow between them and Owen grunted, still firing at will.

Ianto crouched and let loose a volley of lightning bolts as Jack unholstered the Webley and joined in too. There became a contingent of animals surrounding the men in the clearing as Mara continued to battle in the woods, the occasional Demon rushing out into the clearing with a look of horror, I suspect in the end to escape the horrors of the woods and finding those waiting for them did not help.

Owen was starting to enjoy himself and he then saw a demon racing out with a cat on it's shoulder. A little black and white queen too busy chewing on its ear like she was a little demon herself to care. Owen dared not fire lest he hit the cat, something telling him this one might be special somehow so instead he dropped Bertha and stepped up to place hand gun to the demon's head, then fired.

It dropped like a stone.

The little cat leapt off and Ianto called out after her "Lulu, stop messing about!"

She did not answer, too intent on catching another HUGE mouse.

Myfanwy had gathered a few and leapt into the air to throw them into the nearby bay as Ianto laughed softly, starting to relax as he saw that they were wining this fight.

Ianto decided enough was enough … there were more than enough for what he needed to do and he took a deep breath, said something guttural and clapped his hands together, the shockwave forcing all around them to fall.

Owen stumbled as well, his ears not just popping but sort of… crackling. He spun to see Ianto looking around as the demons started to smoke, like… weird man. Implode? Folding into themselves smaller, smaller and then simply fading into the grass.

Gone.

"OK. That was cool" Owen finally said, his voice tinny as their ears adjusted.

"Let's hope those still rampaging out there are not too many" Jack said as he holstered the Webley and turned to Ianto "this was not all of them, right? Some mop up needed?"

"Yes and if UNIT do it they will only cause more damage. These thing need… a certain level of violence" Ianto nodded.

One walked over to pick up Bertha "Cool. Let's go."

Ianto smiled lovingly at the man as Owen started to stride purposefully from the clearing only to turn back to them both, "Well? Come on."

Jack shrugged at Ianto "You heard the man."


	14. clean up aisle 3

The cleanup was underway with Owen hanging out the passenger window of the SUV whooping with glee as they chased a group towards the river. They don't like water, something Ianto had confirmed before he had turned to walk in another direction. Owen frowned, then asked "where is he going?"

He has his own fixing to do" Jack said as he watched Ianto go without even looking back at them. Easier that way, not looking back. Jack knew that tactic as well. Don't look back, less pain if things are not the same when you get back. Jack resisted the urge to call out to him, knowing that sooner or later they would need a real talk. One that did regress into fucking. One day.

Now they were driving at break-neck speed across a football pitch as these three idiots tried to scatter but kept running back into one another's path. Jack had soon worked out that driving straight meant he could eat up the space between them while the three twats kept thinking they were clever confusing everyone. It is a wonder they didn't wind up slamming in to each other. Jack grew weary of both the length of the pursuit and the fact Owen couldn't hit a single feckin one so he simply stomped his foot down and ran over the nearest one, Owen squealing now as he grabbed onto the roof as the SUV bucked, then Owen slid into the cab while laughing hysterically.

Then Ianto shot across the bonnet, travelling in another direction and Jack yelped, and then gave a bark of relief as Ianto shot past with a demon in his arms, flinging it to one side to slam around a tree trunk before dissipating once more. Jack zoned in on the last one still running with glee.

Owen looked out the window, up at the sky "Where did he go?"

"Owen… you ever cupped your hands in the shower and gathered water to wash your face?" Jack asked then snarled with open malice as the third one went under the wheels and the SUV bounced "Well … Ianto is like that. You can see him, know he is there but even with a soft brush of his hand against your face… he is gone."

"You talk like he is an element not an entity" Owen pointed out and Jack considered then nodded.

"He is. He is. Earth. Fire. Air. Water. Ianto. Yeah…. I need all those things. Sure" Jack finally nodded, swinging the wheel as he tapped the screen on the dash "Toshiko, next site?"

Owen settled back to reload the many weapons scattered on the floor of the SUV's passenger foot well. He knew they were together. A thing but… wow. The way Jack's face had changed… softened… Owen now saw that there was something on a deeper level between these two. Something that transcends anything he might think it is.

An explosion lit the sky in the distance and Jack cursed softly "shit, Toshiko? Was that Ianto? Christ almighty."

"Yes, over at the gas company… the place is going up, looks like one of the tanks has blown" she replied.

"Shit. Propane. Great… gas. Air right?" Own giggled "Oh man. This is like some weird trip man!"

"Yeah, but it's not the fall that kills ya…" Jack said then grunted as the SUV slammed to a stop like they had hit a invisible wall, both men looking over the bonnet at the sheer drop below them and then focusing on the man standing between them and a mighty drop.

"It's the sudden stop at the end" Owen finished the quote for him with awe as Ianto calmly shoved the SUV back and shook his head like he was scolding naughty children. Jack had the decency to look a little embarrassed that he had forgotten about that drop, then he and Owen were out and running after something they saw in the mist.

Ianto sighed as he looked around and muttered to himself "Bloody nuttas… like toddlers running after the next thing to play with leaving their mess behind."

Ianto then shoved the SUV back towards the street, the tires gouging the wet turf as Ianto showed himself to be stronger than a bulldozer. He left it facing the right way and did not push it onto the tarmac as it might run the tires. He had just had those rotated ya know.

Ianto puffed out in a wisp of black smoke as a red cap stood with his mouth open in the middle of the street, chaos and mayhem all around him as he stood staring at the spot where the Djinn had just been. He turned to his mate "did you see that? That dude just… puffed away like a fucking wizard."

His mate lowered his gun to stare at him then said softly "Cut that crap out because if they hear you talking about wizards and fucking unicorns or whatever they will put a bullet in your brain to stop the crazy from getting out."

"No… seriously" he complained as he turned and started firing again, knowing he was right. Must be a trick of the light with all the mist and chaos.

That sort of shit just can't be real.

Magic.


	15. OWEN!

The place was a mess. The entire city a crime scene and Heddlu had given up on the crime scene tape simply standing over the carcasses as UNIT came around to scoop them up.

"Boys!" the Brig called out enthusiastically as his Jeep came to a stop near them, getting out to swagger over and look at the huge demon laying nearby. Well … he was sort of pancaked by a HUGE fist so … splattered? Squished … he was squished nearby "Some mess!"

"Yeah. Sorry. Sort of went off" Jack shrugged with that sexy grin of his to show he didn't really care if a scolding was in the air. He knew that he had done good.

"Well … the gas tank gong off over on the other street was apparently a thing of beauty. I can't wait to watch the playback, they said it was like something simply … ate it." The Brig said as he turned from the carcass to face Jack "Was that some sort of weapon of yours?"

"Now now. You know as well as I do that weapons create booms, they don't swallow them. You think some huge entity simply breathed it in like smoke from a Hookah pipe?" Jack laughed and the Brig did as well, turning back to the huge monster once more as in the distance UNIT men tried to get a rope around it to get it loaded on a transport vehicle.

"Might need the ship for this" Jack finally said softly "you know… that spaceship of yours that barely flies anymore since the atmo shield broke."

The Brig snorted with amusement.

No point denying it.

.

.

.

Over on the other side of town Ianto was standing in the doorway of an old building , leaning on the frame as he watched UNIT trying to pick up a creature that was mostly mush. He felt a small hand sliding around his waist and resisted the urge to shudder letting the child slip under his arm to watch as well.

"You lost some people last night" he said softly.

"Unfortunate. Yes" Faith answered, her head resting against him as she imbibed. Rare for Djinn to give as well as take, rarer still that one would give to her. She scared them, she knew that. Hell … she scared herself.

But this one…. He was scarier than anything she had ever known.

He was not just a Watcher. This was Friday. The End of All Things.

She was safe once more in the warmth of his embrace.

Even if his gaze could turn a man's blood to ice.

.

.

.

.

Owen was whooping as he sped along, swinging the wheel of the SUV to follow the small demon that had alluded them so far. Jack was on comms telling him to let it go, it would only die of starvation out there in the woods anyway, too far from the city to imbibe pet cats or dogs. Let it go.

Owen knew he was right. They had tagged it during the night which was why he could track it so easily now. They could simply come back another day and hunt it down at will before it got too big or obnoxious. But the bloodlust still had him, that bloody thrill of the kill as the night became dawn and a new day began.

Owen wanted one more.

This one would do, one that he tagged all by himself. Hell, he might even get it alive. A live one for some close examination. Why not… he had been good lately, not burning down the Hub or flooding it… recently. Surely he would be allowed anew pet. I mean look at it… scrawny little thing the size of a chicken for fucksake. How much damage can…. Fuck. Owen squealed as it suddenly turned 180 and threw itself at the grillwork of the SUV, slamming into it with such force that the vehicle stopped as if it had hit a brick wall.

Air bags deployed, Owen screamed and the 'little' demon was suddenly ten times its size clambering up the hood of the SUV like a crazed pit bull, slathering as it made straight for Owen's face.

Owen screamed and hit the gas as he tried to struggle the airbag out of the way, slamming through a brick wall… yeah for real this time… and across a field of grass then the very thing Ianto had stopped from happening the night before … like kismet… like… it was supposed to happen one way or another… the little shit drove the shiny sweet SUV off the edge of the embankment and over the side… down… into the river.

Upside-down!

Toshiko cried out as she watched it all on the live dash cam, frantically trying to path in to Jack to tell him and then she took a deep breath, punching another code.

"Ianto!"


	16. a blink

Owen was struggling with his seatbelt, the upside down thing not helping as gravity made his body weight lock the belt in place. The water was pouring in though the half open door window as well as the smashed windscreen and it ws at this point he finally remembered the Demon that was now forcing it's head though the hole in the windscreen.

"Fuck!" he cried out as he heard the nails on the metal above the sound of the water… in the small space it echoes and he began struggling more as he tried to get to the scalpel he always kept in his pocket. He knew that he had to cut the strap to get out, the locking mechanism would never let go … his hands were slippery as the water poured over him, choking and blinding him as he heard the slathered growls over the roar of the water.

Then silence.

Owen looked up, finding Ianto there a mere hairsbreadth from him. Ianto was so calm. Everything was so quiet like someone had hit pause. Even the water was gone, just Ianto.

"What are you doing little man?" Ianto asked softly.

"Ianto" Owen sighed with relief.

Ianto drew Owen close and whispered "Do you trust me?"

"Of course" Owen said as he felt the strap give, the thing holding him slid back as Ianto's hands slid around his waist like a man would his little dance partner mid-lift and it was almost a dreamlike scene as Ianto drew him against him, his lips moving to cover Owen's in a kiss.

Owen felt things all go gooey and slide away.

He came back to himself standing on the bank of the river, stepping back from Ianto as he took a deep breath then looked down at the one rear wheel sticking out of the water "Shit."

"Did you just kiss him?" Jack demanded as he ran, slipped, slid down the embankment "did I see you kissing him?"

"I had to move him quickly and I needed him to not breathe while in the void. How else to take his breath from him without encouraging another?" Ianto asked blandly "Hmmm?"

Jack blinked.

"seriously Cariad… you must learn to share. There is more than enough of me to go around" Ianto was amused now, seemed to grow and thin out until he was just wisps of smoke, still recognisable like someone was projecting a picture of him on a smoky background "And it is only Owen."

Jack shrugged as he conceded that Ianto had a point.

"Only?" Owen asked then looked back at the vehicle "Hang on. That… how did you get me out?"

"Magic" Ianto said softly, reaching out to pat Owen's head one might a small child. Owen grinned like one too. OK. He accepted that.

.

.

.

Faith was waiting on the roof of the old cinema over on the south side. The wind had whipped up and as she lifted her face to the sun her hair lifted and started to waft around her head. Her henchmen stepped back nervously as her skirts started to rise and swirl around her gently as well.

Faith laughed as she opened her eyes to watch as a bird approached, it's wings flapping lazily as it used the wind's updraft to 'surf' it's way in. As it came closer it seemed to grow larger and larger until the men realized it was not a bird at all, Ianto landing on his feet to cant his head and look at her as her skirts and hair slowly settled. He looked eerily like a giant crow all in black, with his head canted that way. That one visible eye glowing a bright blue.

He didn't need the wind now.

"Hello sweetie" he said softly "I know things have been a little frantic the last couple of days, are you OK?"

"Yes thank you" she said politely "I lost some people but they died with honour as befitting one who is worthy of the journey to the next place."

"Yes. There are still some unwanted guests in the shadows. I am unable to pin them down, elusive and crafty as they watched their brethren fall. They are changing their tactics accordingly." He advised in that slow conversation of those who have lived long enough not to care about the length of time said words might take to be heard "Please do not let yourself be at ease yet. I am fond of you."

"Thank you" she repeated herself with a slight curtsey, pleased to hear his affections as he was so very hard to read.

"Oh.. and one more thing" Ianto said as he went to leave, turning at the edge of the building to look back at her "Stop needling Jack. He is young but shows promise as a Watcher."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes. One day… one day he will give all he has for the betterment of this rock" Ianto nodded, then said as an afterthought "and I shall be waiting for him to join me in my little bottle."

Faith snorted at the Genie reference as Ianto stepped off the building and one of the men made a noise of alarm, rushing to the edge to look down.

Of course there was nothing there.

Faith rolled her eyes at him as she saw that this one might not make it much longer.

He had no idea!


	17. teasing

Cleanup was slow and tedious, Heddlu and UNIT complaining about things that had no real need to be complained about and Jack was on the verge of shoving a Webley up a General's nose.

Jack knew Ianto was there, watching as he slid around those working and still found it amazing that he was right there in plain sight yet unseen by mortal eyes. Hearing his thoughts, Ianto stopped and pivoted to face him in the sea of uniforms, grinning as he winked and placed a finger to his lips in the universal sign of 'shush' before turning away and disappearing.

Someone bending over nearby yelped and swung to look at thin air, Jack knowing full well that Ianto must have pinched that butt.

What could Jack do but snigger as he tried to keep a bland face.

"Look Harkness… we know what we are doing here. We don't need you here sniffing butts like a fucking mongrel street dog" the general snarled but Jack felt calm. Very calm as he raised his hands and nodded, not taking the bait to fight.

"Well… if you can handle it all yourself… just remember that scene in Ghostbusters when they turned off the containment unit" Jack grinned as he openly taunted the man knowing there was nothing of any danger there, but it was nice to see him squirm. Jack turned to walk jauntily to the SUV before turning to watch the whirlwind that picked up, people running to seize flapping canvas as the tents over the crime scenes were lifted into the air and general chaos reigned.

"YOU!" the General roared at Jack "YOU DID THIS!"

"Well, I know my wind is a little intense, I know some will travel long distance as I can be intense but are you seriously suggesting my fart did that?" Jack asked, now openly laughing.

The General went to snarl something else when his hat flew off and Jack clambered into the SUV, roaring with mirth all the way out of the area, knowing Ianto was a wicked wee beastie when playful.

He pulled into the underground parking facility and turned to look at the passenger seat, Ianto twinkling into existence like he had been there the entire time. Who knows. Maybe he had? Who am I to say. Magic.

"That was naughty" Jack gently said, the scolding lost in the giggles.

"Wanker" Ianto replied "He served it. I managed to rip the blouse of one of the females too … should have seen them clambering to protect her asserts. The General was horrified."

"Oh baby, you are soooo naughty"

"It will keep them on their toes. There are some lesser demons still looming about, they will not get caught so easily as a feckin Hoix or weevil. Maybe they will do well to remember that" Ianto looked out the window of the SUV "And there we are. Owen. Impatient wee beast."

"Tht was epic. The dash-cams got it all… their security is for shit… Toshiko got theme all live and they are still trying to clean up what you did!" Owen gushed as he wrenched the door open.

"Well I aim to please" Ianto said smoothly, bowing as Owen laughed and they headed in to watch the angry UNIT crew trying to salvage things.

"He rubbed you the wrong way, eh?" Owen asked as he poked Ianto well naturedly.

Ianto as used to Owen doing this, accepting it ws a weird sort of show of affection and replied "Well …he does not like cats that one."

Again Owen roared with mirth, muttering to himself about kitties and claws as he went back to his work. Jack watched Ianto stalk about for a while then followed him under the stirs where Ianto went to place some files "Ianto? My office?"

Ianto turned and faced Jack, then nodded as he followed him up there and closed the door. Jack settled on the edge of his desk "So. We know the worst of it is over, bar the clean up. Tosh's little energy sniffer is working and we now know where the latent demons still lingering about are, the UNIT crews not doing too bad of a job clearing it up."

"It is not over yet there are enough to case another problem if they get organised. It does not happen often, they are thick but once in a hundred or so years Demons actually agree on something and that is a very bad thing. Very bad. That Ghostbusters analogy you used back there was not far wrong." Ianto replied, his impeccable suit dark in the soft lighting, almost black instead of the smoke.

"One more push?"

"Mehaps there will be" Ianto sighed, looking out over the team working away diligently, poor Rhys on the sofa with cuppa and a biscuit watching Owen like he was a TV show as he buzzed about. Well … he is pretty funny I guess. Ianto frowned. "Rhys. You know… I like him. A good asset."

"Gwen will not let us keep him" Jack guessed where this was going and Ianto made a noise in his throat.

"No… but still. If it ever became the end of all things, we want him on our team" Ianto finally agreed tiring to stalk over and seize Jack's face, kissing him savagely then dissipating into thin air as Jack frowned with annoyance.

"Tease!"

* * *


	18. it is done!

Hogarth placed the bowl of grapes down by the other offerings and settled to wait for his God. Things had been insane, the happenings had been not just terrifying but… somehow satisfying as he had declared to all around him that he had been right. Had he not foreseen the battle? Had he not warned them all of this? Now… the one who he had to thank for his safety had to come tonight. He had not for three in a row as the others had waited but Hogarth knew better and came tonight .. tonight he would come.

It was Friday.

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The park was in almost complete darkness, only the moonlight illuminating the tips of the grass and the heads of the nodding flowers as they slept and waited for the first tendril of sunlight to wake them, encouraging them to pull back their petals and face the day.

Mara were in the trees, the breeze filled with their whispers as they played, then it all seemed to die away to silence. The breeze stilling as each blade of grass stood up straight. On parade. Ianto walked confidently along the path of shells, but did not make a sound. The crunch of each footfall you might expect did not come, instead the entire thing made you think the world's mute button had been pushed or something.

Then Ianto sighed softly and it all came to life, frogs and crickets, nightlife partied as everyone came out of their fugue. An owl watched him pass under the limb he was perched on, hooting gently as a shadow passed over head. Myfanwy calling faintly in return to the owl.

Ianto reached the old battered remains of a building, slipping through the cracks to materialize behind the man who had been loyal in times of trial. A savage scar across his face bore witness to the fight he had endured to protect his sister and little nephew as a demon had tried to break into their apartment during the night of chaos.

Hogarth sat at the front waiting patiently for several hours but Ianto had been busy, not able to be called to the flame. Tonight was Friday though. A night to give … a night to acknowledge those loyal and Ianto smiled as he watched Hogarth reach over to check if the little child was warm as he huddled in his mama's arms. Ah. Hogarth had fetched his family here.

"It's cold" she whispered to her brother but Hogarth shook his head.

"When he comes it will be warm. We have to have faith. You know… he will come for those who are loyal." The man whispered back, smiling reassuringly to the little one.

Ianto took a peek and found the little one to be three? Four? Ahhhhhhh… an age where magic can still speak in the bones. Little eyes fastened on him as the child saw him, even if no one else could. Ianto revelled in this. When they did not know to fear the old magic in the blood, accepting the world as it truly is. All too soon this child will think it a trick of the light, or a fanciful dream. But tonight… Thomas saw him.

"Hello" the child said politely as the handsome man smiled at him.

"Hello little Thomas" Ianto replied, making the mother jump as she looked up at the man standing there "You have wonderful PJs on tonight."

"They are stars. I like stars" Thomas said proudly displaying little moons and stars on the fabric.

"As do I. Magic in them ya know. Once upon a time, people thought they were angels up there holding candles to look down on us" Ianto crouched, still smiling as he reached out to stroke the child's cheek, warming him instantly as the temperature in the room settled to an even comfort.

"One day I wanna go there. I wanna be a spaceman!" Thomas said with wide eyes.

"I know a space man. My partner is form the stars, he came from another planet all together. He does love this one though, you know Thomas… this is the best one" Ianto winked "I should know. I made sure of it."

"Mister? What's your name?"

Everyone gasped at the child as Ianto laughed softly.

"I have many. Old, new… weird. You know which I prefer though?"

"Which?" Thomas asked.

"Ianto" Ianto whispered gently, still stroking that cheek "for that is the name my beloved calls to me. Of all my names… I like the sound of that one from his lips. One day Thomas… one day you will see the stars, one day you will travel to places you never dreamed possible. I see this. One day you will meet a special kind of Doctor that can help you with that."

"Cool!" Thomas gushed happily "Did you go places with him?"

"Yes. I have but you know… there is no place like home" Ianto rose and looked over the people, then reached out to run his fingertips down Hogarth's face, the scar knitting and disappearing as he stroked it away, then he turned to snatch up the grapes. "Thank you Hogie."

"Anytime My Lord" Hogarth choked out, his hand feeling the now smooth cheek with wonder.

Ianto left in search of that man, those lips that whispered the name he likes the most.

For the world turned evenly once more.

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Thanks for reading … I may do another segment one day.


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